Ex Buckeye B.J. Mullens is the 2nd rated C in the 2009 NBA Draft?

Ex Buckeye B.J. Mullens is the 2nd rated C in the 2009 NBA Draft?

Ex Buckeye B.J. Mullens is the 2nd rated C in the 2009 NBA Draft?

By Bill Smith

A few months ago, I wrote “Where have all the Big men gone” in my own site. College basketball has become totally bereft of quality NBA size centers. The league is desperate for anyone that can dribble a basketball and is 7 feet or more tall.

This year, B.J. Mullens is ranked as the 2nd best C in the draft and 16th overall. This for a guy that wasn't even a starter for the Buckeyes much of the year. He averaged 18 minutes a game for the Bucks and scored 8.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. Even at 275 he is not that physical but moves fairly well. At this point in his development, he really has not become strong at any aspect of the game. He is a nearly blank chalk board upon which a lot or a little could be written depending on his willingness to work on his game.

One thing that does speak well of him is that he only averages 2.1 fouls per game in that 18 minutes. He has a very long way to go to develop into a potential starter. He will likely be a rotational player that eats up minutes but both his offensive and defensive games leave a lot of room for improvement.

This draft has been said to be a weak draft. That is not totally true. It lacks the “can't miss” depth at the top. But even a lot of the so called can't miss guys miss terribly. I can't remember a draft in the NBA that had as many players with as many questions about their game as we have this year. This is the kind of draft that will make some GMs look very smart and make others unemployed.